This invention relates generally to musical instruments and more particularly to tools used to remove frets from guitars, banjos, and other string instruments.
A fret is a raised portion, typically made of metal, on a neck of a string instrument to divide the neck into segments. The fret extends across the width of the neck and in modern instruments is secured to the neck using a “tang” which extends from the rounded top of the fret into a groove formed on the neck. The tang uses small protrusions to dig into the edges of the groove to secure the fret to the neck.
Typically, a fret is a T shaped wire, where the top of the T is crowned, and the bottom leg of the T shaped wire has barbs that hold it into the neck of a stringed musical instrument when it is pressed into a corresponding slot cut into the neck of the instrument. With time, the crowns of the fret wear down due to normal use and need to be replaced.
Currently known pullers simply grab the fret at the base of the crown and pry the fret wire out of the neck, causing the barbs to pull wood upward that frequently chips out of the fretboard. Prying the fret out in this manner may also damage the wood in the slot of the fretboard to the extent that the new fretwire may not hold firmly when pressed into the neck. This leads to costly repair of the fretboard.
It is clear there is a need for a tool which is capable of removing frets without causing undue damage to the neck of a guitar or banjo or other string instrument.